Semi-Random Friday Music

It’s time for the newest mainstay of Stump Lane: semi-random Friday music.

Your Montag traverses the myspace music scene, follows the trail of comments from one page to the next and picks out the song I like best from each artist. The links chloroform you and you wake up disorientated with a massive headache on the floor of the artist’s myspace music page.

1. Europe Or Utah TOUR — The Sundresses (Cincinnati, OH) — It’s some of that updated rock-a-billy swing stuff.
2. Modern Swingers — The Pink Spiders (Nashville, TN) — They call themselves “punk,” but if you asked me I’d say it’s more, “radio-friendly garage.” (See: Jet, The Strokes, The Hives, The Vines…) Calling themselves The Pink Spiders seems to be a step in the right direction. [Pictured.]
3. 369 — Knova Jones (Birmingham, AL) — They call themselves “The new revolution of Southern Rock.” As I listen, I feel as though caught in a vortex of fire and pain and noise and torment… And not in a good way.
4. Fit In — Wyatt’s Last Stand (Birmingham, AL) — Another self-described “Southern Rock” band, though a considerable improvement over the above. But still… If you must listen, stick with Your Montag’s selection, and then get the hell out of there. — Can this this edition of semi-random Friday music be saved?
5. Red Gold — Elefant-Broad-Tree (Germany) — I don’t think we’re in Alabama anymore, Toto. Dark rock; in that Cult–Danzig–Monster Magnet vein.
6. smallOnes brainpain — hesslers (Germany) — Nice one-chord riff driven rock, similar to that one Helmet song that was so huge. Kinda like Korn without the SUCK. They lose me somewhat in some of the smoother “melodic”* sections, however.
7. Intro — Saber Rider (Germany) — Sounds like Saturday morning cartoon theme with a Prog Rock bridge. Only one song to choose from here.
8. Battered and Bruised — PHINIUS GAGE: melodic hardcore. from england. (United Kingdom) — I have no quarrel with these guys calling themselves “melodic”* hardcore. Should consider shortening their band name to just PHINIUS GAGE.
9. Schwarze Raben — Früchte des Zorns (Germany again, WTF?!) — Not sure how to describe. I’ll guess: They Might Be Giants burlesque; in German. But I don’t understand German, so I don’t really know. Another artist with only one song choice.

[Note: Had to backtrack a bit after Saber Rider cause he only had one myspace friend, (unjust!) and so the trail had gone cold.]

Your Montag’s top four, if you don’t have time for them all: 6, 7, 1 and 9.

Any suggested starting points? If you know of, (or are,) a myspace music artist, and you want the exposure that a D-list blog can bring, then leave a comment here or send an email…

* USAGE NOTE: I cannot think of a ‘modern rock’ song off the top of my head that I would describe as particularly “melodic,” but I’ve heard the term used more than once to describe vocalists who sing rather than shout the lyrics. (One more way corporate radio lowers the bar.) I embrace this usage here, but attempt to mitigate it with “scare quotes.”